Carnival Rides and Cotton Candy
by Anoush
Summary: This story is about Zero because I liked him. It also has two of my OCs, and I have to say, you don't get to see that side of Riot very much at all. In fact, that's the first time I've ever seen him like that. Anyways, it's set before the book, so Zero is


1The air was full of shouts of joy and anticipation and the crowds were full of smiling faces. Clouds were nowhere in the dusking sky, but the whirling lights from the carnival rides were dancing everywhere. One ride, that no one could really ever give just one name to had just finished and three people got off. The dark haired girl stumbled dizzily, laughing cheerfully.

"So, Z, how'd you like it? It's my favorite ride!" She asked, nearly falling into a nearby gamer's stand. The taller boy grabbed her elbows to steady her.

"It's your favorite ride, but not _mine_..." he grumbled. Turning to the younger boy the girl had been addressing, he said.

"So you've really never been to one of these before?"

The boy shook his head, the long tight curls bobbing every-which-way.

"Mmm... that's terrible!" The girl exclaimed, finally getting her balance back.

"I'm so glad I found you!"

The boy smiled shyly. Since his mom had disappeared, Hector had been living on his own and no one seemed to care that he existed anymore. Then Emilie found him at the park and said she wouldn't leave without him. He didn't want people to worry about her (she seemed like the kind of person people would miss), so he went with her. The older boy, who called himself Riot, seemed like the leader of a group of people just like him, alone with no place to go. But Emilie had to convince him to let Hector stay. It seemed to Hector that Emilie was the only person Riot would allow himself to take orders from.

"Hey!" Emilie waved a hand in front of Hector's face, snapping out of his thoughts.

"What do you want to do next?"

Hector looked around, his eyes scanning the carnival until they stopped on a concessions stand. Emilie followed his gaze.

"Cotton candy! Perfect choice, Z!"

She hurried over to the stand, dragging a weary Riot behind her, with Hector close behind her.

"One for each of us-" She began to order.

"No!" Riot shook his head. "I don't want one. She'll have two," he said to the carnie.

"You can't go to a carnival and not have cotton candy," she argued.

"_I_ can," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Emilie handed the first cone to Hector. He took it and pulled off a piece of the fluff, sticking it into his mouth. The gauzy candy dissolved into a delicious liquid on his tongue. He smiled and pulled off another piece.

The carnie handed the other cone to Emilie and she paid him. Riot looked around, eyes everywhere but on her and Hector.

"Oh come on, Riot..." she waved a piece in his face.

"No!"

"It tastes really good after that ride," Hector piped up. Riot shot a look at him, but Emile smiled.

"See? Even Z agrees. Try some, Riot," she prodded, sticking a new piece right in front of his face.

"I don't want it!" he pushed her hand out of his face and backed up a step.

Emilie stuck the piece in her mouth thoughtfully. A crafty look came over her face and she turned to her friend.

"What?" he asked, a cautious look on his face. He knew something was coming, but he wasn't sure what it would be.

She grinned and her hand shot up into his face again, but this time, she pushed a small piece into his mouth. Riot didn't have any time to react. The sugary sweetness slid down his throat and his eyes seemed to turn a bright shade of fuscia. A smile crept across his face. Hector laughed.

"See? It's good," Emilie said, returning back to her candy, with a wink at Hector.

"Good enough to steal," Riot said, snatching a huge hunk of the cotton from Emilie's cone.

"Hey!" she laughed, turning to try and rescue the candy. He laughed and held it up in the air. She jumped but Riot was a good foot taller than her, so it hardly did any good.

"Fine! Keep it, I don't care..." Emilie said.

"Yes you do."

Riot finished off the stolen candy and reached for more. Emilie moved it out of his reach with a triumphant grin. He wrapped one arm around her and grabbed the candy with the other. She laughed a wiggled out of his grip.

"Just let me have one last piece and the rest is yours," She handed the nearly empty cone to him and retreated.

"You're just going to let him have that?" Hector asked her.

"Better mine than yours," she said with a smile.

Riot picked the last of the sugar off the cone before throwing the paper into a bin. He realized the other two were watching him and gave them a sheepish look.

"That's why I didn't want any..."


End file.
